New Blood
by Princess of Radiance
Summary: <html><head></head>11 years after series end, A new Spirit Detective is recruited just in time for new villains to appear and a new plot to unfold. With barely any training, and an assistant with secrets of his own, will her first case be her last? T for cussing/violence</html>
1. Prologue

Prologue of the fic! :)

Seems a little unrelated, but trust me. It's all connected.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

_The thrill of the hunt. Adrenaline, coursing through my veins, hot and so sweet I can almost taste it. The cold winter wind nips at my bare arms and ruffles the fur on my tail, but I barely notice. My focus is on what's behind me, what's tucked under my arm…who's beside me._

_This is the night I will never forget._

_We had just finished the heist of the century- more like heist of the week for us, though- and were taking our leave of the place. Our prize, a beautiful mirror known as the Shinjitsu no Kagami, said to reveal the true nature of any illusion, was safely in my arms. Kuronue was beside me, as he always was, laughing fit to burst._

_We slipped with nary a sound into the bamboo grove surrounding the mansion, exchanging an amused glance as we caught the first tell-tale noises of the guards spilling into the night._

_I should have known this was too good to be true._

_We leapt through the night, cold wind rustling the stalks and sending the thin leaves floating in the air. Suddenly- I never could figure out how; perhaps it was just my luck- the thin silver chain of Kuronue's beloved pendant caught on a twig and snapped, sending it soaring behind him into a moonlit clearing, where it lay quietly, the lighting making the crimson stone look like blood._

_Before I could react, Kuronue had rebounded off of a bamboo stalk and torn off towards the clearing._

"_Kuronue, don't!" I called out. "We can come back for it!"_

_He ignored me. "I need it, Youko!"_

_I sighed heavily. He came to a halt in the clearing and stooped to pick it up. As he stood, a sound caught my notice- a faint noise of something falling._

_A trap!_

"_Kuronue!"_

_He turned to face me just as the first sharpened stalk of bamboo sliced into his leg. He cried out in pain, but it was too late for both of us. There was nothing either of us could do as the spears rained into the clearing, impaling him just as the moon returned from behind a cloud, flooding the clearing and painting the bloody scene in stark relief._

_My voice caught in my throat, unwilling to cooperate. "K…Kuronue…!"_

_I started towards him, but he shook his head weakly. "Get…out of here, Youko! Forget about me, run…!"_

"_But…"_

"_Go!"_

_He looked me in the eyes, and I couldn't meet them. I knew what I'd see. Resignation. Determination. Courage._

_Which is more than what I could ever have._

_I turned, and for the first and only time in my long, long life…I left something behind._


	2. Bad Feelings and Premonitions

Finally, a proper chapter one! Here are all the characters in this story. If anyone can guess who the two unnamed men are, I will be impressed! (though I pretty much gave you one of them...)**  
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Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Bad Feelings and Premonitions<strong>

Kurama woke with a start, sitting up in his bed drenched in a cold sweat. He sat panting for a moment, the memory of that terrible night still fresh in his mind.

Shaking himself from the daze, he got up and went into his bathroom, turning the sink on to splash water in his face. Letting the tap run, he looked at himself in the mirror. His dripping face was still pale, and he sighed heavily.

"I haven't had that dream in years…why tonight?"

He dried his face off and went back into his bedroom, stopping for a moment at the window to frown at the city skyline. He hadn't spoken to Yusuke or any of the others in months, but he was fairly sure all was calm in all three realms.

But…

He spoke aloud, placing his hands on the windowsill. "…Something is coming. I hope we will be ready for it when it arrives."

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><p>Yusuke hummed tunelessly as he closed the shutters on his ramen stand. Kicking the stools under the cart, he hung the handwritten 'steal and get deep-fried, sucker' sign on the closed shades, and then picked up his bag to head home to Keiko.<p>

A voice stopped him. "Hey, are you Yusuke Urameshi?"

Without turning around, he replied: "Depends. Who's asking?"

A laugh. "Someone who's not looking to get his ass kicked tonight."

Yusuke took that as a sign the guy wasn't much of a threat, and turned. "Then yeah, that's me."

The man grinned in relief. "Oh, good. I'm not gonna have to strangle the guy who told me I could find you here." He walked closer, stepping into the pool of light cast by the streetlamp above Yusuke's cart.

Yusuke gave him a once-over. The guy was tall, broad-shouldered, and generally badass looking. He was wearing a battered old motorcycle jacket, combat boots, and aviator sunglasses, and some of his black hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

"So what do you want? If you're another one who wants Koto or Juri's autograph, they're kind of sick of me at this point."

The guy snorted. "I bet. But no, that's not why I came looking for you."

He took off his sunglasses, and a pair of deep purple eyes met Yusuke's.

"There's trouble coming. And I wanted you to be the first to know."

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><p>Azami Murasaki sat on her bed, staring out the window. She pulled her legs closer to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. <em>I shouldn't be up this late. I have school tomorrow, and Kuwabara-sensei will be annoyed if I'm tardy.<em>

But she couldn't sleep. She got out of bed and put her glasses on, walking across her bedroom to the sliding glass door. Sliding the door open, she stepped onto the patio and closed it behind her. Shivering a little in the autumn wind that was blowing her shoulder-length hair into her face, she leaned on the porch railing and sighed.

_I don't like this. I've been having an awful feeling lately, and it hasn't gone away at all. Not only that, but…Shae said she's noticed some weird things lately, too._

Azami sighed again when she thought about her friend. The wolf spirit was a lot more connected to that kind of thing, and if _she'd _noticed something_…_then things could be really bad soon.

She frowned, turning and sitting against the railing, leaning back with an exasperated exhale.

"I don't like this at all. I really hope we're wrong, and something isn't going on."

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><p>In the Makai, two boys were sitting in a cave. One was trying to start a fire, and the other was throwing pebbles at the cave wall.<p>

"Sunao, stop that and help me." The boy trying to start the fire looked up and frowned, his blue-green bangs falling over his eyes.

Sunao glanced over at his friend, then at the nonexistent fire, and smiled. "But you seem to have it under control, Fubuki. You don't need me."

Fubuki growled. "Jackass. I mean it. Help me or we'll both freeze tonight."

Sunao's tail twitched in amusement. "Okay, okay. Be like that. I was teasing." The pale-blue furred fox spirit got up and knelt next to his friend, taking the flint and steel and deftly starting a crackling fire.

Fubuki huffed. "Show-off."

Sunao laughed. "You're just jealous of my superior everything skills."

The dragonling tossed a pebble at Sunao's head. "Some friend you are."

Sunao snorted and sat next to his partner-in-crime. "You know I love you, partner. But in all seriousness, this sucks."

Fubuki nodded. "Things have been getting strange lately. Security's been upped everywhere. Everyone's gotten so paranoid all of a sudden. It's almost impossible to steal even a loaf of bread out of a market stall, let alone something shiny out of a castle."

Sunao nodded glumly, absently rubbing the flower-shaped brand on the base of his neck. "Thieving's almost not fun anymore…there's definitely something going on."

"I know it's not the change in rulers. Koko is Enki's wife- she wouldn't do anything like this."

The two thieves sighed in unison and looked into the fire.

"I wish I knew what was going on…"

"You said it."

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><p>In another part of Makai, a lone traveler was walking through a dark forest, sword at his waist and bag over his shoulder.<p>

Things had been getting a little too strange in Makai of late, and he had a theory on where it was starting. He wasn't sure, though, so he'd packed up what little he owned and headed out to investigate.

As a slow rain started to drip its way into the canopied forest, the fire demon sighed heavily, and pulled his hood lower over his head until only his sharp, red eyes were visible in his lined face.

He really hoped his theory amounted to something, he thought. If it didn't, he would have landed himself into a world of trouble.

He absently touched the pendant resting under his shirt, given to him by his lover before she'd left him without a word. Its presence calmed him a little, and he hefted his pack and walked on.

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><p>Back in the Ningenkai, two ominous figures stood on top of one of the taller buildings.<p>

"So this is the city where the former Spirit Detective and his friends are supposed to live."

"…Yes."

The girl smiled slowly, her pale eyes glowing in the moonlight. Her partner, his arms crossed over his bare chest, remained expressionless.

"Good."


	3. Azami

Wow, so inspired. Started this chapter going 'shit what am i going to do with this' but BAM more words than the last one. Questions about the DHFA? Check my profile for a 'verse explanation.

Shae belongs to both me and my bestie Clare. She's been around for a good seven/eight years and was one of our (well, her) first OCs. We have joint custody now. Enjoy, Clare!

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><p><strong>Azami<br>**

Azami woke the next morning, as always, with a large grey wolf sitting on her chest and licking her face impatiently.

"Good morning, Shae. Now get off."

The wolf complied, and trotted into the other room, allowing Azami to put on her Sarayashiki uniform and glasses. When she went into the living room of her apartment, a pink-haired girl was sitting on the arm of the couch, tail twitching.

"Hey, Azami, what's for breakfast?"

Azami glanced at the clock. "Well, since you woke me up _two hours before school starts_, I know what you want."

Shae looked innocent. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Come on, change to your wolf form and we'll go to the café by the school. I'll get you a chocolate cigar."

"Yes!"

A few minutes later, girl and wolf were off.

After a quick breakfast at the café, Shae walked Azami to the front gates, and trotted off to go about her business, while Azami went in. She was still early, by about an hour and a half, but then she always was a little early. She liked talking to her teacher; he was really easy to get along with, and he helped her out a lot.

When Azami opened the classroom door, she realized her teacher wasn't alone. She tried to quietly close the door and walk away, but Kuwabara-sensei and the stranger had already noticed her.

"Azami, hey. Come here a minute, will you?" Kuwabara waved her over.

As she walked over, not a little nervous, she eyed the stranger curiously. He was average height, and kind of skinny, but he looked tough. He had messy black hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a bomber jacket over casual clothes. And he didn't really feel human.

As the stranger watched her watch him, Kuwabara continued like there was nothing wrong.

"Urameshi, this is the girl I was just telling you about. Azami, this is my buddy Yusuke. I was just telling him about you."

Yusuke grinned. "And you're right, Kuwabara. She's pretty good."

Azami blinked. "Uh, thanks…? Good at what?"

"You've been looking at me like I'm purple and have six heads. I'm guessing you can tell I'm not all human."

"Oh. That. Yeah. Yeah, I can, uh, tell." She looked at her feet nervously. Why had Kuwabara-sensei told this guy about her sixth sense? She'd only told her teacher because she could sort of tell he had it too, and she'd needed someone to share it with. _And for that matter, _she thought, _why is Kuwabara-sensei friends with a demon?_

Kuwabara smiled. "Don't worry about Urameshi, he's harmless, mostly. He won't eat you."

"Yeah, teenagers are too chewy anyway."

The men laughed, and Azami couldn't help but join in.

After the laughter had died down, Yusuke continued more seriously. "Really, though, kiddo, there's a reason I'm here. Kuwabara told me you had a friend that works with the DHFA."

"You mean Shae? Yeah, she told me she's a commentator. …So?"

"Did she ever tell you anything about a Spirit Detective?"

Azami blinked. "Um…I think so. A Spirit Detective is, like, a sort of one-man police force between humans and demons? Like, they keep the peace between the realms?"

Yusuke grinned. "Yeah, something like that. Sounds about right."

Azami was still confused. "Shae told me that there wasn't one right now, though."

"Nah, they fired me when it turned out I my great-great-great-whatever-many-greats granddaddy was a demon."

"Wait, you were the Spirit Detective?"

"Yep. That's me. Yusuke Urameshi, former Spirit Detective and all-around badass guy."

"Wow." Azami looked over at her teacher. "Did you know that, sensei?"

Kuwabara-sensei grinned. "Knew it? I was right there with him half the time. Every good detective needs an even-more-badass sidekick, that's me!"

"Who's more badass than me, Mr. Token Human Guy?"

"Shove it, Urameshi."

As the men bickered cheerily, Azami stood stunned. Her teacher had been a Spirit Detective? He'd fought demons? Why hadn't he mentioned that before? Granted, she'd only been in his class since she'd entered the 10th grade two months ago, and she'd only known Shae about that long anyway, but…wow.

Then another thought struck her. _What does the former Spirit Detective want with me, anyway?_

She voiced her question, and the two looked at her.

"Oh. Right. Well, like you said, there isn't a Spirit Detective right now. Actually, there hasn't been one for about ten years or so."

"Why not?"

"Well, I'm part-demon, so I'm fired. There's some other human psychics, but either their powers aren't exactly useful or they don't want anything to do with us anymore."

"What about other former Spirit Detectives? Can't you reinstate them?"

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah, well, about that. I'm the third. The first is a mom, and she told the boss if he tried to hire her kids, she'd shove his pacifier up his ass. The second, well, he went nuts and I kind of had to kill him pretty dead."

"Oh."

There was silence.

"So where do I come in?"

"Guess."

Azami thought for a second. "Wait…"

She stared at Yusuke. "You want _me_ to be the new Spirit Detective?"

He nodded. "As Botan would say- bingo."

She blinked at him wordlessly.

Finally, she squeaked, "Why me?"

Kuwabara answered this time. "Well, you're a pretty powerful psychic, and you seem pretty capable of defending yourself. You told me you know how to fight, right?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm pretty good at martial arts…"

Yusuke grinned. "Well, then, it's settled. You're a psychic, you can fight, you're not totally clueless about demons and shit…you're hired!"

"B-But I'm fifteen!"

Yusuke laughed. "Is that all? We were fourteen when I was hired. Don't worry about that; age isn't an issue."

Azami shook her head quickly. "I- I don't know about this…"

Kuwabara smiled kindly. "Hey. Don't worry. Yusuke's old sensei's still around. She's already agreed to train whoever we pick. We wouldn't send you anywhere blind and untrained. Besides, you won't be alone."

"But Shae's not a fighter, and she has a job-"

Yusuke shook his head. "Not talking about her. Someone's already offered his help to the Spirit Detective. Had to tell him I'm technically not allowed to do official Reikai business, but…he's willing to help the newbie."

"Oh. Okay." Azami sighed, appeased for now. Then something occurred to her.

"Wait. You said there hasn't been a Spirit Detective for ten years. So why are you looking for one now?"

The two exchanged looks.

"Well…" Yusuke began, "I don't know if you've noticed, but recently, things have been getting a little weird here and in Makai. Reikai caught wind, and they're trying to figure out what the hell's up. Took them a while to realize they really didn't have a Spirit Detective to send to investigate, and Enma refused to reinstate me, the asshole. So he told Koenma he'd better find someone new to take over because if he found out I was still working there would be Consequences. And that's that."

"Ah..." Azami mumbled. "This is really…a lot to take in."

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty wild at first, isn't it? Don't worry. You'll be okay."

Yusuke smiled at her. "Yeah. I gotta head out- School's starting soon, and I don't want to be here. Takenaka probably _still _remembers me."

Azami smiled. "You went to school here?"

"More like, I decided to show up here when I felt like it. But hey." He laughed. "I turned out all right."

He turned to Kuwabara. "Meet you at the gate after school lets out. Bring her, and we can take her up to Genkai's, okay?"

He nodded. "Got it."

He left, waving at the two of them. Azami waved back, and then turned to Kuwabara. "Genkai?"

"Urameshi's master. She's the one that's gonna train you."

"Oh, okay. Can Shae come? She's meeting me at the gates anyway."

"Sure."

Azami smiled and headed back to her seat. Today was definitely shaping up to be something else.


	4. Kei  Attack

Wow, each chapter is getting longer. Anyways, here's Kei! One of my favorites. Poor Kuwa. He's not famous ):

And also- CLIFFHANGER! I love abusing that man, I really do.

Also sorry in advance for my shit Japanese phrasing.

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><p><strong>Kei - Attack<strong>

After school, Azami headed out to the gates to wait for Kuwabara. He was finishing some paperwork, so she'd gone ahead to fill Shae in. the wolf was there by the gates, and hopped to her feet when Azami approached.

"Hey, Shae. We aren't going straight home today."

The wolf looked at her oddly, then trotted behind a bush and stood up in her human form, ears and tail hidden.

"What? Why?"

"You'll ever believe this. I went into class today, and Kuwabara-sensei was talking to his friend, this guy named Yusuke-"

"YUSUKE? As in, legendary descendant of Raizen former Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi?"

Azami glared at her friend. "Yes. That one. And thanks for telling me about him, Shae."

"I didn't know your teacher knew him! Really! The only famous friends of his are Hiei, Mukuro's aide and the fox spirit Kurama."

"Ouch, so I'm not famous?"

The two girls jumped as Kuwabara walked up behind them. Shae blushed.

"Uh...yeah, sorry. At least, I haven't heard of you. Probably-"

"'Cause I'm human, yeah. I get that a lot. It's okay." He looked at Azami. "We should get going. Genkai's a little far."

Shae gasped. "THE Genkai? Azami, why are we going to her temple? You know who she is?"

Azami raised an eyebrow. "Some badass lady? Yusuke's teacher, now mine?"

"Yeah, she's really- wait, WHAT?"

Azami laughed at her friend's expression. "Yeah. I'm the new Spirit Detective. Surprise!"

"Holy shit. Seriously?" Shae looked over to Kuwabara for confirmation. He nodded, smiling.

"Yeah. We're taking her to meet Genkai and the others now. Want to come?"

Shae nodded vigorously. "Oh, hell, yes! ….Wait, we?"

"Hey! Kuwabara! Sorry I'm late; Keiko dragged me on errands all afternoon."

Yusuke jogged up to them, and Shae blinked in shock.

"Wow, Urameshi, she's really got you whipped."

"And you're the same way for Yukina, so shut up."

Yusuke turned to Azami, leaving Kuwabara to glare at the back of his head.

"Hey, newbie. You ready to go?"

"Yeah. Oh, this is my friend Shae."

Shae waved a little and squeaked out a 'hi'. Yusuke laughed and patted her on the head.

"Nice to meet you, too. Alright, then, Kuwabara, where's your clunker?"

Kuwabara swatted at Yusuke as he led them to his car, a beat-up old SUV. "My baby is not a clunker. She's just moody."

"Suuuure. And Hiei's gonna be your new best friend."

"Piss off."

The four piled into the car, and they headed off to Genkai's temple.

An hour or two of listening to Yusuke and Kuwabara bicker later, they arrived at the forest where the temple was. Yusuke led them up the trail to the stairs.

"Here we are, Grandma Genkai's Temple of Hell."

Azami frowned. "What?"

"Ignore Urameshi. Genkai's a pretty tough teacher, but she's alright."

"She can also hear you JUST FINE, boys."

The four looked up to see Genkai on the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest. Yusuke grinned.

"Hey, you old bat. Not dead yet?"

"Obviously not, dimwit. Seems you're still just as childish."

Yusuke gave her the finger, but she ignored it and looked over to Azami. "You're the new Detective, huh? Don't look like much, but your Reiki's fairly strong. I think you'll do alright. Now come on. Koenma and your new assistant are waiting."

Azami blinked in surprise at the old master's bluntness, but followed her up the stairs, the other three trailing behind.

As they reached the temple, Azami couldn't help but gasp. The temple grounds were sprawling, and the buildings were old, and beautiful. Genkai nodded.

"Takes a lot to keep this place tidy. Good thing Kurama left those nutjobs from the Tournament here to help."

Azami didn't ask. As she looked around, she heard someone call out to them.

"Yusuke! Did you find someone?"

Yusuke waved to someone out of her line of sight. "Yeah, Koenma. I found one."

Azami turned to watch the two newcomers approach the group. The one in front- tall, brown-haired, and with a pacifier in his mouth- Azami assumed was Koenma. The other man drew her attention a bit longer.

He noticed her watching him and waved cheerily, grinning at her. She waved back.

When they reached the group, Koenma introduced himself and greeted her with relief.

"Thank goodness Yusuke found someone. I hate having to deal with Father when he's pissy. And believe me, he was getting pretty pissy."

Yusuke snorted. "When isn't he?"

The older members of the group started joking amongst themselves, leaving Azami, Shae, and the other newcomer to look at each other a little awkwardly. The newcomer was the first to break the silence.

"So you're the new Spirit Detective? Cuter than I thought you'd be."

Azami blinked at him, flushing a little. "What?"

"Nothing." He grinned at her again and held out his hand. "I'm the guy that's gonna help you out. Call me Kei."

She couldn't help but smile back. His grin was infectious. "Azami. Nice to meet you, Kei." They shook hands.

Shae frowned at him. "Hey, but you're human. How are you gonna help her when I don't even sense a little Reiki coming from you?"

Azami looked over at Kei again. It was true. He didn't really have any Reiki. In fact, if it weren't for his eyes, which were a deep purple, she wouldn't have thought he was anything special at all.

He smiled. "Ah, that. Well, you see, it's kind of like this." He rolled up the sleeves of his jacket.

On both of his arms was an intricate tattoo that went from wrist to elbow. It looked almost painted on, and on the outside of each arm was some kind of symbol that Azami couldn't make out.

Shae seemed to know what it was, though, and looked shocked. "A Keisō seal! But…that means…"

Kei nodded. "Yeah. I'm actually a demon."

Azami gasped. "Really? But you…"

He nodded. "That's what this seal does. It completely seals off your demonic aspect, and all of your Youki. Pretty much turns you into a human. Sucks to be me, huh?"

Azami frowned. "Yeah…I'm sorry, it must be hard…"

Kei laughed good-naturedly and patted her head. "Aw, how sweet, you're worried about me already. But don't; being stuck as a human sucks ass, yeah, but the guys that're causing the trouble are the ones that did this to me. So, not too worried about being this way for much longer."

He glanced over at Koenma. "Here's hoping pacifier-breath keeps his end of the deal…" he mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter."

Azami nodded, and turned to talk to Shae. A thought struck her, though, and she looked over at Yusuke.

"Hey, Yusuke, who's Kurama?"

Yusuke and Kuwabara both looked upset all of a sudden. Koenma answered for them.

"Kurama's a friend of ours, a fox spirit inhabiting a human body. He was part of the original team, though he hasn't kept in touch recently."

Yusuke huffed. "Yeah, he wants to keep up his human charade 24/7, so he really doesn't talk to his old friends anymore."

Azami frowned. "But…why does he want to do that?"

"He wants to separate himself from who he was as a demon," Koenma explained, "so he eventually decided that meant he had to separate himself from his whole identity as Kurama."

"Oh…"

Kei interrupted. "I told you, though, Koenma. The guys that are coming want _all _of Team Urameshi. You'd better go drag his furry ass back here before they go after him. I mean, he's the weak link right now…"

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><p>Kurama put his briefcase down in front of his apartment door, and fished in his pocket for his keys. He had been distracted at work all day- even his stepfather had noticed. So, he had come home early, deciding almost immediately to call Yusuke.<p>

As soon as he stepped inside his apartment, though, he knew something was wrong. He left his briefcase at the doorstep and quietly closed the door behind him, reaching for the rose in his hair only to realize he no longer kept it there.

Letting out a quiet, uncharacteristic curse, he silently made his way to his bedroom, where he knew he kept several potted plants on his desk and windowsill.

He never made it that far. As he edged past the kitchen, a noise behind him made him turn and dodge, and a dagger buried itself in the wall where his head had been, taking a few strands of hair with it.

Despite his lack of a weapon, Kurama dropped into a fighting stance, watching the intruders appear out of the shadows. The one who had thrown the knife was tall and extremely thin, with a white streak in his black hair and hollow eyes of dull gold. Behind him was a small girl dressed as a miko with aquamarine hair, and fins sticking out of either side of her head. In one hand she held a flute, and she raised it to her lips again.

With the first notes, the man summoned more knives and rushed at Kurama, who caught him by the wrist and flipped him deftly over his shoulder. The man rolled over the countertop and sprang to his feet again, throwing a handful of knives at the fox spirit. As Kurama tried to dodge, he crashed into the wall of the narrow hallway, and the knives found their mark. With a cry, he dropped to one knee, hands over the spreading patches of crimson on his chest and shoulder.

The girl stopped her song and smiled. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Once, you were a name to be feared, spreading your cutthroat reputation throughout the Makai. Now you're nothing more than a human, weak and fragile. And so you will die."

As Kurama's vision grew dark, he saw the man approaching him, summoning a long, thin sword. Before she began to play, the girl spoke one last time.

"Good night, Youko Kurama."


	5. Torn Apart

Wow, so here I am with this again. I was inspired, shall we say, by the announcement of the release date for the FUNimation dub of the Kuronue movie- Nov. 29, for those interested (I hope).

Like I said, I absolutely love torturing Kurama. This is more proof.

HMM I WONDER WHY KEI IS SO UPSET.

Azami's pretty damn cool. :)

Also, you get to see the main villain, and find out the names of the minions. Kotone means 'sound (of the lute)' and Yaiba means 'blade'. Hmmm...I wonder who the 'little lizard' is...

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><p><strong>Torn Apart<br>**

The four knew something was wrong the moment they got out of Kuwabara's van in front of Kurama's apartment building.

Yusuke was in the lead as they ran to his door, taking the steps two at a time. When they met him at Kurama's door, they stopped. A plain brown briefcase lay on its side next to the door, which was slightly ajar.

"Kurama!"

Yusuke pushed the door open all the way, and the smell of blood hit them at once.

Azami paled. "That…that smells like blood! Do you think…they were already here? Do you think they…?"

Kuwabara shook his head roughly. "No way. Not Kurama. He _can't _be."

Yusuke stopped by a small pool of blood near the kitchen counter, as the others spread out around the small apartment. He stared down at the puddle of crimson, and clenched his fists. "If these bastards think they're gonna get away with whatever they did to Kurama…"

Kei, looking around the room, stopped suddenly and shushed them. "Shut up, I hear something."

Before anyone could get ready for a fight, Kei leapt over the kitchen counter and disappeared into a side room. A second later, they heard him cry out in shock.

Yusuke and the others rushed to the doorway, and screeched to a halt, staring in disbelief at what they were seeing.

It was Kurama's bedroom, and lying crumpled on the floor by the bed, covered in blood, was Kurama.

Youko Kurama.

The blood stood out sharply against his white clothes and pale skin. Kei, an odd, almost frightened look on his face, knelt by him. Reaching out, he gently turned Youko onto his back.

He moaned softly, but didn't stir. His eyes were open, but barely, and what could be seen of them was dull and glassy.

Azami knelt next to Kei, a worried look on her face. "What happened to him? …Besides all the blood and injuries, I mean. His Reiki…it's really messed up."

Kei glanced at her for a moment before turning back to the fox spirit's unconscious form, his face unreadable. "I…I don't know. It feels like something happened to him, but…but I don't know what. I'm not the guy you would ask about something like this…"

Kuwabara picked Youko up. "Then we need to take him back to the temple. Genkai or Koenma will know what happened."

Yusuke laughed bitterly. "Sucks when the guy who could tell you what happened almost instantly is the guy that's currently bloody and unconscious."

Kei stood, his eyes never leaving Youko. "Yeah…let's head back…"

Azami quietly put a hand on Kei's arm, but he shrugged it off. Azami frowned in concern, but said nothing more as they all carefully headed out to Kuwabara's car in the darkening evening.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and the others sat in Genkai's main room, waiting. Keiko, Yukina, and Botan had arrived, and Touya and Shura had come up from the training cave. All were in various stages of worry.<p>

When they had gotten there, Genkai had immediately gotten Kuwabara to bring Youko into one of the other rooms, and made him wait with the others. Koenma had pulled Kei aside to speak to him briefly before he joined Genkai, and now Kei was sitting against the wall closest to the door, arms crossed and dead silent.

Finally, Genkai stepped through doorway, sliding it shut behind her.

Yusuke jumped to his feet. "Well, old lady? What the hell happened? Is he okay?"

Genkai was quiet for a moment, before she said solemnly, "His soul…has been torn in half."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Those who knew what that meant turned visibly pale, and Kei made a small, choking noise of rage and shock.

Azami, worried, looked around at the pale, angry faces. "Master Genkai…what does that mean, exactly?"

Genkai looked over at her. "Kurama is what's called a merger. Formerly a demon, he was badly injured, and in order to recover his strength, his soul slipped into the body of a pregnant woman and joined with the human soul of the infant. Over the years, the human and the demon soul bonded so closely together, the two became one person- not quite demon, not quite human. Whoever did this ripped his soul in half, separating the demon and human side. I suppose they meant this to kill him outright. Fortunately, they underestimated the strength of Youko Kurama's soul. But even so…"

She paused, looking grim. "He's dying. One cannot live with only half a soul."

The stunned silence that had fallen over the room exploded in voices, all sounding horrified, angry, and grief-stricken.

Only Kei still sat quietly, his face a mask of shock, horror and rage. Slowly he stood, and when he spoke, his quiet fury somehow rang out through the room, causing everyone else to fall silent.

"How long does he have? I want to know so I can find the _sons of bitches _that did this and _tear them apart._"

Koenma looked worried. "Ku- Kei, you can't go alone, not in the state you're in-"

Kei rounded on him. "_I DON'T CARE. _All I care about is _not letting him die!_" He shouted angrily, clenching his fists.

Genkai snapped. "Don't be a fool, boy. There's no way you can take on those demons alone, as weak as you are right now. We'll send Yusuke and Kuwabara- this is too important to follow the rules."

Kei spun to face her. "Well, then _release the goddamn seal! _Release it and I could rip those bastards into pieces, easy!"

Koenma sighed in exasperation. "Kei, it's not that easy to break that seal- I told you."

Kei snarled in frustration and anger and slammed a fist into the wall, hard. Before he could continue his furious pleading, someone else spoke up.

"Master Genkai, you never said how long he had."

They all turned to look at Azami. She was standing in the middle of the room, her face set and determined.

Genkai raised an eyebrow. "I'd say…five or so months."

Azami nodded. "Okay. Winter vacation is in a month. You and I can go then, Kei. In the meantime, how much training can I get in a month, Master Genkai?"

Genkai smirked at her. "The question is, how much can you take?"

Azami didn't flinch. "As much as I have to. I won't let him die, I swear it. I'm the new Spirit Detective, and I _will _save him."

Yusuke grinned. "Brave girl."

Azami turned back to look at him. "Well, a Spirit Detective's job is to protect people, no matter what, right? If that's who I'm gonna be, I'd better start acting like it."

She turned back to Genkai. "When can we start?"

Genkai crossed her arms. "As soon as you stop chattering and everyone else gets their asses out of here."

As they did, Azami caught Kei by the arm. He still looked furious and upset, but he softened slightly as she smiled at him.

"I don't know why you're so upset, Kei, but I promise you, we'll save him. He'll be alright, so don't worry."

He stared at her for a moment, and then grinned that infectious grin at her. "Yeah. We'll save him. Just don't let that old bat kill you before we go, huh?"

Azami giggled. "I won't. Now get your butt out of here, so I can get started."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at a dark, foreboding palace deep in a bamboo forest, two figures stepped into a magnificent throne room.<p>

One, the small girl dressed as a miko, knelt in front of the figure on the throne. "Master, we have done what you asked. The fox was indeed the weakest link, and was easy to fell. We have brought you the human piece of his soul, as you asked."

With those words, her companion brought out a faintly glowing glass orb the size of a bowling ball. Inside it, a faint white mist swirled, and if one looked closely, they could make out the silhouette of a young, long-haired man floating in the center.

The man on the throne smiled triumphantly. "Good, good. And did the others find him?"

"Yes, Master. Unfortunately, the demon is still alive, though barely."

The man chuckled. "That is unfortunate, though it is a stroke of luck. That gives them the hope that he can be saved, and will bring them scurrying here even faster."

He motioned, and the young man brought the sphere to him. Studying it closely, he began to laugh. "Ah, how perfect things fall into place…soon, all my plans will be in motion and the show will begin."

He paused suddenly, and smirked. "Kotone. Take your man and go outside. It seems there's a little lizard sniffing around my palace. Bring him to me. I care not his condition, only that he lives."

The girl stood and bowed. "As you wish. Come, Yaiba."

Her companion nodded shortly, and the two left the room.

The man on the throne chuckled softly to himself, still staring at the orb containing the imprisoned half-soul of Shuichi Minamino.


	6. Ready

'Nother new chapter. We're getting close to the start of the big adventure, here! Yeah!

First scene, Yusuke and Kuwabara fret over their little protege and answer a question or two you probably have.

Second scene, I finally reveal Kei's identity, though most of you know it already, lol. Also, may your heartstrings be tugged at poor sad Kei! Tugged! 

* * *

><p><strong>Ready<strong>

The last day of school before winter break, Azami could hardly keep still in her seat. She'd been going to Genkai's temple every day after school and staying on weekends, working herself past the point of exhaustion. She was determined, though. Willing to do anything to be ready in time.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the last bell rang and Azami shot out of her seat and down the hall. She ran out to the parking lot, and stopped to wait in front of Kuwabara's car. He joined her several minutes later and smiled at her.

"Hey, Azami. You think you're ready?" He couldn't help the little bit of anxiety that crept into his voice.

She smiled, only slightly nervously. "Yeah. I think so."

The ride to the temple was unusually quiet, Azami fidgeting quietly in the passenger seat. When they pulled up, Yusuke was standing by the stone steps. He waved as Kuwabara and Azami got out of the car.

"Hey, guys. Azami, Grandma wants to see you."

Azami nodded as she pulled a gym bag out of the car, and ran up the steps, leaving Kuwabara and Yusuke standing alone.

"Hey, Urameshi. You've been training her, too- do you think she's really ready for something this hardcore this soon?"

Yusuke shrugged. "Well, she's pretty damn determined. She's not a bad fighter and she's picked up a lot real fast. But…I don't know, man. Even I didn't take on demons anywhere near as tough as the ones she's gonna face until maybe the Saint Beasts, and _that _was after a couple more months training than she just got."

Kuwabara couldn't help but smile. "What, Hiei doesn't count?"

Yusuke laughed. "Hell, man, compared to how tough he is now, Hiei was a _wimp _back then."

"Don't let _him_ hear you say that."

"Ha, I'll just blame it on you."

They shared a short laugh, and then Yusuke crossed his arms and frowned. "In all seriousness, though, Kuwabara. I can't help but worry about the kid. It's different now- now _I'm _watching _someone else _do this. I can't even imagine how it felt for someone else to watch me. Maybe I'm getting older, but I'm worried. I feel responsible if anything happens on her first case."

He sighed. "I mean, she's heading straight into Makai, and her only companion is some demon whose powers are all sealed away. That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

Kuwabara blinked. "Hey, yeah. I was meaning to ask about that. Why can't they release that Kei guy's seal, anyway?"

"Some deal with Koenma. He needs to use the Mafukan to release it, but after the whole Sensui 'screw-you-dad' thing, Enma's put a seal on THAT only he can take off. And Enma won't take it off until Kei proves he's not gonna just turn around and be all destroy-the-world."

"But, uh, he told us who's behind the shit that's been going down; I don't think he's evil. Also, shouldn't the fact that Kurama's _dying _be a good enough excuse?"

"Dude, you forget this is ENMA we're talking about. You know, Mr. Crazy-Demon-Hater? He doesn't give a shit about Kurama. And besides, it would honestly take a miracle for Enma to trust Kei."

Kuwabara harrumphed. "Damn bastard."

"You're telling me."

* * *

><p>Azami walked down the veranda, away from Genkai' training room. She was wearing her workout clothes – just a t-shirt and a pair of shorts – because Genkai had demanded one last training session before she and Kei left for Makai the next day.<p>

She sighed and rubbed one of her shoulders. "Jeez…still can't believe someone her age can kick that much ass…"

As she walked past yet another door, she noticed this one had been left slightly ajar, and she could hear a soft voice coming from inside. Curious, he stopped and peeked through the small opening.

It was Youko's room. He hadn't regained consciousness, and Yukina had been taking care of him in the meantime. She wasn't in the room at the moment, but someone else was- Kei.

He sat next to Youko, knees pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped loosely around his legs. This was the first time she'd seen him in a while- he'd gone off to train separately, with the demon boys that stayed in a cave nearby. He was still in his training clothes, just a pair of loose black pants and shoes, and she could see the seal on his arms, as well as a mess of faint scars all over his chest and arms that she hadn't seen before. A pendant hung around his neck, too- silver, with a deep purple stone and a chain that had obviously been repaired once.

He didn't notice he by the door, and continued talking quietly to the unconscious Youko.

"–told me you were in the Dark Tournament with them, too. Y'know, man, until Yusuke confirmed it for me when I asked, I was convinced the guy was lying. I mean, YOU, Youko? In the Dark Tournament? Now, I haven't seen it since Hana and Yuri were the two announcers and apparently that was a good fifteen hundred years ago, but I doubt it's changed much. I remember back then, you said you'd never be caught _dead_ entering alongside those…what did you call 'em? 'Battle-crazed nimrods'? But really, Youko- you _have _to tell me all the details when- when you're okay."

He faltered and ran a hand over his face. "Hell, Youko. You've had a damn crazy life these past thirty years, haven't you? I sure missed a lot…"

Azami watched him quietly, taken off guard. Kei knew him- no, had known him back when he was a demon? Yusuke had told her about Kurama's past and all their missions, and that Kei had known him as well as it sounded like he did…was a big, confusing surprise.

Kei had fallen silent after that, resting his head on his knees. Quietly, Azami slid the door all the way open, and closing it behind her, padded over to sit down cross-legged next to him.

"Kei." She said softly.

He looked over at her. "Hey, you." He tried to grin at her, but it really didn't work. "How's the training been? You ready for tomorrow?"

She nodded, and then put a hand on his arm. "Kei, tell me…how do you Kurama? Is that why you were so upset?"

Kei looked back over at Youko, and was silent for a long moment. "Yeah…yeah, it was. We were…friends. We were partners. A long, long time ago."

"Partners? But I thought Yomi was…"

"He was. After me. After I…" He laughed softly, bitterly. "After I pulled the mother of all stupid stunts. He thought I was dead; I heard as much from the demons I've talked to. I…obviously wasn't. The bastard that did this to him…found me. Dragged me back most of the way dead back to his place, and patched me up. Well, patched me up only to keep me locked up as a twisted little trophy. I escaped a few years ago, and…that's when I got this seal."

Azami was quiet, thinking back on all that Yusuke had told her, trying to recall if he had said anything about a partner before Yomi. Then she remembered what Yusuke had told her about the Netherworld.

"You're...Kuronue."

He nodded, not taking his eyes off Youko. "Yeah. I am. Koenma's the only one who knows, besides you, of course." His eyes narrowed. "Pacifier-faced bastard neglected to mention that his little fox spirit merger friend was _Youko._"

"He didn't tell you?"

"No. only that he'd help me find him after this was all over." He ran a hand over his face again. "Damn, imagine my shock when I find by best friend way earlier than expected…and he's like this."

Azami looked sad. "That must have been awful. I can understand why you got so worked up."

"Nah, that wasn't the worst of it, really…I've seen Youko get wounded pretty badly before; hell, I used to tease him about all the times he's almost gotten himself killed. No, the worst part about this?" He looked over at her. "That was realizing that all the stuff Yusuke had said about that merger guy turning his back on all ties to his demon self…came from the mouth of my best damn friend."

Azami blinked. She honestly had no idea what to say to that. She looked down at her socked feet, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

Kei – Kuronue – smiled at her. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry at him. It's just…it hurt, a little. Don't get all awkward and pitying on me."

She looked up at him, and smiled back, lifting her hand from his arm. "Don't worry, Kuronue. We'll save him. And then, you two can talk all you want, and you can make him tell you why he decided that. You'll see- it'll all be okay."

She moved into a kneeling position, and gave him a swift, tight hug. "I'm going to finish getting ready for tomorrow. It's getting late- you should, too. See you bright and early, Kuronue."

She got up and left the room, leaving a very surprised and mildly touched Kuronue to stare after her.

After a moment, he laughed, and it was a genuine one. "Heh…thanks, Azami. You really know how to cheer a guy up…"


End file.
